


Splintered Euphoria

by CaffeinatedPigeon



Category: Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Nuzlocke, Pokemon, bloody pokemon battles, i'm really bad at description and titles, more tags will be added when i think they're relevant, they should be added now but i'm bad at this, we ain't wimps here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:20:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27916648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaffeinatedPigeon/pseuds/CaffeinatedPigeon
Summary: A young trainer gets swept into the crisis of a blue man who just wants water, so he asks a whale to bring him more water, except it's too much water.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> pokemon sapphire nuzlocke that i'm documenting just for my own enjoyment, rip
> 
> rules:  
> 1) catch the first pokemon on the route  
> 2) nickname all pokemon  
> 3) once they faint, they're dead, and have to be boxed forever  
> 4) no repeat catches (unless they're dead)  
> 5) you have three chances in a grassy area to catch something new, and then you have to move on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> introducing our disney princess protagonist

Safi

_you still there?_

_yeah_

_holy shit_

_does he realize how late it is?_

_maybe?_

_drag his ass outta there_

_i can’t do that_

_he’s working_

_so?_

_do you want me to come get you?_

_nooooooooooo_

_i’ll get home soon_

That was highly unlikely, and Caelan didn’t really believe it himself even as he dropped his phone facedown across his chest. It didn’t make an audible sound except for maybe a light thump that didn’t have his dad glancing up from his papers, but Wulf, who’d been curled up on the floor right near Caelan’s head, did twitch his ears and pry open his equally tired eyes. Reaching down at an awkward angle, he was just able to cup Wulf beneath his chin and scratch the Poochyena in a half-assed apology for keeping him out for so long.

Caelan’s plan had been _maybe_ to try and get his dad home earlier than usual, somewhere around five or six, like every other normal parent, by actually being at the gym as a physical reminder that the man had a son to return home to. Except, it didn’t work. At all. Norman Huynh remained stubbornly fixated on what seemed to be an endless stack of papers, and even though there were obvious bags illuminated by the single lit lamp on his desk under his eyes, he was nowhere near close to being done, and it was almost ten.

His first thought when he offered to come hang out with him at the gym today was that _maybe_ there was just so much to be done that the small staff just couldn’t complete at a normal time, and with Caelan there to help, they’d be done a lot quicker. That wasn’t the case, because everyone had already gone home for the night, and he’d watched enviously as they stepped into the office to bid their boss a goodnight before shooting the young man reclined on the couch a sympathetic glance and stepping out. Norman hadn’t moved for almost three ours now, and when Caelan cleared his throat to try and do this Safiyyah’s way and urge him out, he wasn’t surprised to find that his dad seemed to have forgotten he was there in the first place.

“Hey, dad, it’s getting late,” Caelan tried sheepishly as he gestured to the drawn curtains of the single window in the office. Maybe that’ll remind him that they needed to go home. Or that Caelan didn’t want to go home _alone_.

“Hm? Oh, right. Why don’t you head on home without me? I won’t be far behind.” Right, sure he wouldn’t. He’d be back in a few hours, and Caelan’s insomnia would keep him awake long enough to know his father wouldn’t push open the door till midnight, if not later, when there was no reason to be working this late in the first place. So much for his plan. This was supposed to drag him _out_ of the gym, not force Caelan to walk _home_ by himself through the dark, no less. It wasn’t a far walk from Petalburg to Littleroot, but time was drawn out at night, and what was actually only twenty or so minutes would feel like an entire hour for Caelan.

“How much more do you have to do?” _Please, don’t make me go alone._

Norman sighed, and Caelan’s hand fell from Wulf’s chin. “Not much. Take Wulf with you – you’ll be _fine_.” It didn’t sound like he was going to leave anytime soon. Caelan pushed the overwhelming disappointed down into his chest as he tried to be sympathetic towards his father, but it was hard when Norman was acting like he was the only one struggling with this. Norman had lost a wife, but Caelan no longer had a mother. Being alienated wasn’t what Caelan needed, but Norman had never asked him what he needed.

“Alright.” Pushing himself up, Caelan snatched his phone before it could topple to the ground and clicked the side to check his battery life. Somewhere in the yellow, which wasn’t good, but hopefully the flashlight would last long enough for him to get home. There were a few more rapid-fire texts from Safiyyah, but to save precious battery life, he ignored them and swiped them to the side, making a mental promise to respond once he got home. Caelan’s Poochyena rose to his feet and shook out his pelt, not even needing to be prompted. “I’ll see you at home?”

“See you at the house.” Norman was already distracted by the overflowing piles of paper, so that was all the goodbye he was going to get. Ignoring the twisting ache in his chest, Caelan dragged his eyes away from his workaholic father and stepped as quietly through the door and into the abandoned gym. Everyone had already gone home, but someone had left a few of the lights on so it wasn’t totally dark. The sentiment was appreciated. Cutting across the abandoned field his father used against challengers had him reaching the door in seconds, but he stopped just before it to peer out the glossy, cleaned window and out into the night.

Apparently, he stared longer than he thought he had, because Wulf was whining for his attention down at his feet, and it snapped Caelan from his stupor. It wasn’t that he was scared of the dark, and ever since his father had purchased Wulf from a breeder in Mauville, it’d been easier to handle. But his nightmares had been getting worse, and his imagination was known for running rampant, especially after only running on a few hours of sleep. Ghost Pokémon had started appearing in the routes surrounding Littleroot – and he wasn’t exactly eager to encounter them. Which was another reason he’d been hoping his dad wouldn’t be strung up on work all night. Unfortunately, that had been too much to hope for.

Caelan took a few extra moments to button up his fluffy, dark green coat to stave off the most recent cold snap that’d be considerably worse now that it was dark. And then, with a steadying breath that did nothing to mitigate his palpitating heart, he pushed open the door. The brisk chill numbed his cheeks as Caelan’s fingers fumbled for his phone. A few lampposts were scattered around the eerily empty city of Petalburg, casting light on the scattered homes that offered splashes of color to the night. It would’ve made more sense to move to Petalburg, but his mother had fallen in love with the small town of Littleroot, and Norman hadn’t had the heart to drag her away from it.

“Come on, Wulf,” Caelan mumbled, clutching his phone till his fingers turned white – or was it blue? – as he shot the Poochyena a glance. His phone offered little to no light to breach the black when they stepped out of the city, but at least it was something he could point at the ground and pretend was offering more comfort than it was actually giving. Wulf’s presence was always reassuring, but he wasn’t exactly _loud._ His pelt melted against the backdrop of black, and other than his glowing crimson eyes and oversized canines, he was practically impossible to spot if not for his phone. Caelan preferred sound to silence, but he wasn’t going to get that here. His phone buzzed again in his hand – probably Safiyyah – and Caelan resisted the urge to ask her to come meet him halfway. But that was selfish, and it was late, and he had Wulf, so he’d be alright. He’d be _fine_ , like his dad had so readily reminded him. Just _fine._

Safiyyah had asked him to text her when he was inside, which was something he _could_ do, and the brief distraction was welcomed from focusing on the morphing shadows that did nothing to ease his worry. But in that time, Caelan hadn’t noticed Wulf had stopped and was staring off somewhere in the woods. Not until he looked up from his phone and could no longer see the shadow of his Poochyena padding alongside him. Caelan paused and turned back to his Pokémon, who was staring straight through the brush with his hackles raised. The thick canopy of trees above them blotted out the light of the moon, so Caelan’s flashlight was the only thing he had, but he really didn’t want to point it towards the woods to see what Wulf was staring at. The thought of being greeted with a Ghost Pokémon prevented him from following through with Wulf’s curiosity, and his throat grew dry just before he tried to call for Wulf to come closer.

“Wulf-” Something _large_ rustled the surrounding bushes, prompting a snarl from Wulf, and Caelan sucked in a sharp breath just as he took a handful of steps backward. _That_ wasn’t a Ghost Pokémon – and he couldn’t decide whether that was a good thing, or a bad thing. And then something large and _shadowy_ was breaking through the tree line, and Wulf’s snarl was cut off as he leaped back just in time to avoid being trampled by something. Caelan yelped and raised his phone light just in time to catch a glimpse of a bearded, kind face and apologetic, shining blue eyes. “Professor Birch!” Caelan gasped out, clasping his hand dramatically over his chest as Wulf – the dirty traitor – padded over to greet the large professor that lived only a few doors down from Caelan, as if he hadn’t just been growling at him a second prior. What was he doing out so late?

“Sorry about that, Caelan,” the professor chuckled, bending down to give Wulf a good scratch behind the ears. “I saw Wulf’s eyes and thought it was a Ghost Pokémon. Suppose I should’ve known better, huh?” He was grinning now, though his smile washed away as he straightened and glanced around with a halfway confused expression. “You’re out here alone?”

“Just headed home,” Caelan supplied with a shrug, stepping closer for both his own comfort and to see the man better. “What are you doing out so late?”

“I was investigating the sudden surge of Ghost Pokémon around here. Pretty odd, don’t you think?”

“Y… yeah, really strange.”

Professor Birch stared at Caelan for a long moment. “Your father working late again tonight?” Caelan paused. It was probably too much to lie to the professor, because why else would Caelan be out right now? But worrying the man was also not his top priority.

“He is. I was at the gym with him, but I decided to head home before him.” That was easy enough, except Caelan’s voice was more strained than he would’ve liked it to be. The smile, he hoped, was reassuring enough to deter the professor’s concern.

“Ah, I see. Why don’t I walk you home tonight? I haven’t had any luck, and I’m certain my wife won’t be happy I’m taking so long.”

Caelan’s unease might’ve been obvious, but his relief was a palpable thing. The dark and him never got along. “Only if you’re headed that way, thanks.” Walking through the dark was just that much better with another _human,_ and the professor was a talkative man that eagerly shared his research finds with anyone he came across, to many people’s chagrin. But Caelan appreciated the noise, and it was a wonderful distraction that made the walk all that much bearable. Not to mention that man was smart enough to bring a flashlight out with him, meaning he could preserve his precious phone battery. The walk went that much quicker, and soon enough, the lights of Littleroot could be seen through the expanse of trees, and Caelan’s shoulders sagged in relief. It was nice to be back, though it would only last a handful of seconds till he stepped into his empty home. But he still had a few more minutes of company, and he wasn’t going to ruin it by thinking about his vacant house.

“Caelan, why don’t you stop by my lab tomorrow?” The lab? Caelan shot the professor a curious look. “Ask Safiyyah to come, too, if she’s not busy.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Just fine. There’s actually something I need help with, if you have the time.”

“Oh, sure. I can stop by.” It was something to do other than sit around in the house all day, wondering when his father would get home, or if he’d come back at all that night. Caelan shoved his hands into his pocket once his house came into view. He hadn’t turned on any of the lights before he’d left that morning, mostly because he thought they’d be back before dusk. That’d been stupid of him.

“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Professor Birch grinned as he clasped Caelan’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Goodnight.”

“Night,” Caelan nodded, watching as the man sauntered down the path that led to his own home, leaving Wulf and him outside of theirs. But he didn’t go in just yet. Glancing to the right, Caelan could see Safiyyah’s own home, which was equally vacant. From what she’d told him, her mother was out of the region for a little while. Safiyyah was used to being alone, but Caelan wasn’t. And the thought of being home by himself…

“Come on, Wulf. Let’s see if Safi is still awake.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boop boop starting this off even if i'm not very fond of the chapter but anyway  
> don't ask me why i do texts like that, the aesthetic just satisfies me


	2. A New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the gingers unite and pretty boy gets mugged

After having sent his dad a quick text letting him know he would be at Safiyyah’s for the night (and receiving no response, much to Caelan’s disappointment), he crashed on the couch downstairs with Wulf curled up on the floor near his head. It was much easier to sleep in a house with another person that didn’t consist of a silent father who left well before Caelan even woke up, but his insomnia wasn’t that easy to fight. It was a restless night that was only bearable thanks to Wulf leaping up onto the couch after waking with a jolt the first time to Caelan’s ragged breathing.

It was early when Caelan left Safiyyah’s house with a small taped to the coffee table near the couch, thanking her for letting him stay the night and setting a time to meet up in front of Professor Birch’s lab for whatever he wanted their help with. The night before, she’d pestered him with questions about this supposed chore, but Caelan could only shrug his shoulders weakly in response – he should’ve asked more about what he wanted in hindsight, but he’d been a bit too focused on getting home in one peace without encountering something purple with a giant tongue.

Caelan’s home was – surprise – vacant. Save for, ironically, a note left on the kitchen counter when he stepped in through the small home that felt emptier than it actually was. Caelan hadn’t had the heart to take down anything his mother had put up after she passed, but some things, he’d begun to notice, were stuffed in corners or photos were facing towards the wall or pressed down on the tables entirely. Caelan was home enough to notice, but Norman wasn’t to tell that Caelan had pulled them back up, rightening them and even going as far as to dust them off a bit. The note told him just what he expected; he’d gone to the gym for the day. No text, no words of endearment, just some information scribbled on a yellow post-it note. _That_ , Caelan did throw away. He crumpled the note and tossed it straight into the trash in a brief bit of anger that had Wulf staring at him in unconcealed concern, and not a second after the wave of anger had passed did Caelan feel immediately bad about his outburst.

It was obvious his father was dealing with grief in his own way, but… the isolation wasn’t something Caelan was dealing with very well. There wasn’t much else in the trash, so it was easy for Caelan to bend down and pluck the crumpled paper out from the top of the trash without it having been tainted by some unknown liquid or food remain. It was flattened out and placed right back where it was when Caelan had found it.

The morning was uneventful following finding the note. Wulf was fed and content to lounge around while Caelan did some of his daily chores, which really consisted of dusting what he could, figuring out what was clean and what was dirty in his dad’s room – which was actually the _guest_ room – and maybe deciding if he would go grocery shopping. But it wasn’t like either of them cooked anymore. Caelan didn’t really know how to use an oven, considering his mother never really _let_ him near anything that involved fire, and Norman always relied on _her_ to cook. He was mostly shopping for himself at this point.

The chores were thankfully enough of a time consumer that he finished right on time for him to leave and meet up with Safiyyah. When he’d left that morning, it’d been cold, but thankfully it was a clear enough day that the sun offered some reprieve from the never-ending chill. But Caelan still dressed in the heaviest coat he could find before stepping outside with Wulf trotting at his heels, locking the door behind him. The day was much more preferred to the night. For one thing, there were actually _people_ milling about, and a few of his neighbors waved at him as he walked down the path that led to the professor’s lab.

Safiyyah was already waiting for him out front sitting along the brick wall that surrounded the large building decked out with handfuls of windows and a garden that had been abandoned now that it was colder. She was dressed just as warm with her white blonde hair pushed back with a black headband. Unlike Caelan, she wore gloves, though only one was on so she could scroll through her phone mindlessly. Wulf raced forward to greet her as if he hadn’t seen her in three weeks rather than only a handful of hours, and she raised her head when he jumped up onto the wall do claim her attention. “About time you got here,” Safi huffed in her typical, dramatic fashion. Wulf got ample amount of attention before she rose to stand beside Caelan, only reaching up just below her shoulders (though he always got hit whenever he commented on her height).

“Oh, sorry, were you waiting long?”

Safi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her navy coat that reached past her knees (maybe it was her mother’s?). “No.”

“Great! Come on, let’s head inside!” To say he was excited was an understatement – no, doing chores wasn’t appealing, but it was _something_ to do. Safi had agreed to come only because she was bored without her mother around, and he was thankful for that. Not that Eira Garner was gone, of course, but because he enjoyed her company. And it was nice to be around friends.

The lab itself was pristine, _white_ , and overflowing with books lined along the shelves and stacked on wooden chairs scattered around the edges of the room. A few researchers glanced when they came through the door, but given that Littleroot was a small town, they all knew the two teenagers stepping through the doors. The ones that weren’t too consumed with their work greeted them with a few nods as they stepped through the lab and towards Professor Birch, who seemed to be cleaning something with his back to the two of them.

Caelan coughed to grab the older gentleman’s attention, and Professor Birch whirled around with a confused expression, only for it to shift into a grin not a moment later. “Caelan, Safiyyah! Wonderful to see you two.”

“Hey Professor Birch,” Caelan greeted with an overly enthusiastic smile of his own – and one that had Safiyyah rolling her eyes. “You haven’t been too busy, have you?”

“Research never ends,” he responded flippantly, rolling his shoulders as he stepped forward with clasped hands. “Thank you two for coming. I have a favor to ask you two.” Caelan and Safi exchanged expectant glances before turning back to Professor Birch, whose smile had broadened, if that were at all possible. “I was hoping you two could work on the Pokédex for me.”

“The _Pokédex?_ ” Safi exclaimed. “We’re no researchers.” In fact, they were the farthest thing from researchers; Safiyyah was the daughter of a Sinnoh legend, and Caelan was the son of a local gym leader that destroyed League Challengers’ dreams. Both came from trainers, not _researchers._

“No, you’re not,” Professor Birch agreed, which Caelan didn’t know whether to take as a compliment or an insult. “But, recently, I was requested of an old friend to see if I could get my hands on some rare Pokémon for his son. I was able to get three, to give him a choice, and I now have two left.” Professor Birch stepped back to the desk behind him and pulled open a drawer, retrieving two small, red balls that were currently deactivated. “I need some help and seeing as you two are the children of two great trainers and have an abundance of free time, I trust these two Pokémon will be well cared for in your hands.”

Both balls were activated at the same time, and the white disappeared moments later to reveal two Pokémon. A Mudkip and Torchic both stood in confusion, seeming a bit disoriented, before turning their heads up towards Caelan and Safiyyah. Wulf, who’d been relatively quiet throughout the conversation, pricked his ears and stepped forward when he spotted the two new Pokémon in front of him. He sniffed cautiously at them, his nose twitching slightly, before releasing a yip of excitement and leaping forward to play. Both Pokémon complied eagerly, and soon enough, the three of them were tackling each other and wriggling around on the floor, their cheerful noises disturbing more than one of the researchers. None of them said anything, though, because Professor Birch stood monitoring the three with a grin.

“You’re… giving one of them to us?” Safiyyah had snapped herself from her stupor as she stared down at the three Pokémon. Caelan was still wrapping his head around _why,_ and what accepting one would mean.

“Of course. It’d do you two some good to get out and explore Hoenn for yourselves. I don’t think either of your parents would mind, especially if you tell them you’re helping me out.”

“Professor Birch, that’s… awfully kind of you, but… I don’t think I can accept one of them.” It felt too soon to go off and leave his father all alone, even if Norman spent most of his time alone already.

“And why not?” Safi retorted, startling him with the venom in her voice. Caelan balked as he stared at her all but glaring at him, hands on her hips and her scowl now directed at _him_. “You’re not doing anything.”

“Y… yeah, but my dad-”

“Hasn’t been home in time for dinner, and barely even spends time with you.” Safi sneered and straightened her shoulders. “I think it’d do both of us some good to get out of the house. We can’t just keep sitting here with nothing to do.”

“It still feels wrong to leave him,” Caelan admitted quietly.

In a rare moment of compassion, Safiyyah’s expression softened. “He’s already left you.” _That_ stung, and Caelan flinched a bit away from her words. “You need to do something for yourself. So, why not explore the region? Help the professor?”

“And, you can even try out the League Challenge. The Stone Badge can be earned in Rustboro City, just through Petalburg Woods, if you’re interested,” Professor Birch interjected oh so helpfully. Safiyyah’s eyes lit up with a fire Caelan envied in that moment.

“I don’t know how much more convincing you need.” The Pokémon were still playing around on the floor when Safi bent down to gain their attention. All three paused when she held out her hand, but the Mudkip was the first to step closer. Jumping off from where it’d been pinning the Torchic, it stepped carefully closer to peer at Safi’s gapped fingers, and only when it was close enough did she risk scratching it beneath its chin. “I’ll take the Mudkip,” Safi announced with a grin when she received a nuzzle in response to her open affection.

“A good choice,” the professor praised. Safi plucked the Mudkip from the floor to hold it in her arms just as Professor Birch handed her its respective ball. “You can have the Torchic if you’d like, Caelan.”

Taking the Torchic meant… well, it meant a lot of things Caelan didn’t know if he was ready for. But, then again, maybe he was. It wasn’t like Norman was home enough to notice if Caelan was gone, and would his father really be opposed to a journey of his own? He had to go through Petalburg anyway to reach Rustboro, so he’d visit his father and tell him the news then. It would be better than a _note._ The Torchic had scrambled to its feet and was now peering up at Caelan with open curiosity that had him breaking into a smile against his better judgement. “I’ll take it.”

“I’m happy to hear it.” Professor Birch handed Caelan the Torchic’s ball, which Caelan shoved in his pocket next to Wulf’s (which was rarely used anymore). “And here are two Pokédex, and some supplies for the two of you.” It was like he’d been prepared for them to say yes – Professor Birch was now extending two bags to the newly appointed trainers (he was a trainer now, wasn’t he?). “Inside are a few poké balls to start you off, too.”

“Are you sure you’re alright with this?” Caelan blinked. There was just… so many things he was giving them. From a rare Pokémon to supplies to start them out on their journey – was this normal? Was this some trainer initiation he was missing out on for so long?

“I’m more than sure,” Professor Birch reassured him with a smile that wasn’t quite as bright as the others, though Caelan wasn’t sure why. “Why don’t you two start off by documenting the Pokémon in the area? Check it out and then make your way to Rustboro City? I’ll notify Roxanne that the two of you are on your way so she can keep a look out.” _And make sure we don’t get lost along the way, probably._ But Caelan was more than thankful for the bit of help Professor Birch was offering them.

“Thank you, Professor Birch,” Caelan grinned.

“Yeah, thank you. This is… better than what I was expecting,” Safi admitted, and her smile was contagious.

The professor quirked a brow. “Oh? And what were you expecting, Ms. Garner?”

“I was thinking Caelan was dragging me over to help clean your lab.”

Professor Birch laughed. “I have an entire staff to help me with that, don’t you worry. You two be careful out there, alright?”

“We will!”

“Thanks, professor!” In a flash, Caelan had scooped up his newest Torchic, who squawked in surprise, before following Safiyyah out of the lab and back into the light. She still wore a grin larger than anything he’d ever seen in the years they’d known each other as she held out her newest Mudkip. “And to think, I almost said no.”

“You did?” Caelan blinked, only slightly hurt at the revelation.

“Can you blame me? I didn’t want to get dragged into some weird chore. You’re lucky I was bored enough to say yes,” she said with a shrug. Safi’s eyes flickered to the Torchic in Caelan’s arm, and she smirked. “His feathers are as red as your hair.”

“Yeah, we’re twins,” Caelan laughed, lifting the small Pokémon up near his mop of red hair. The Torchic seemed confused for a moment, and then he leaned close enough to snap his beak around a strand of his hair. Caelan’s kneejerk reaction was to rip the Torchic away from his hair, but that unfortunately meant ripping at his own hair – which was exactly what happened, because the consequences of his actions didn’t exactly occur to him before he was flinching away and almost dropping the Torchic entirely when he almost ripped out a chunk of his hair. Safiyyah laughed as he somehow managed to get the Torchic to let go without taking out the hair with it, and he lowered it back down to hug him to his chest.

“I’m going to head back and get some supplies before I leave,” Safi was saying, and it struck Caelan a second later what that actually meant.

Incredulously, he stared at her. “You’re… already going?” 

“I accepted the Pokémon, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but, you haven’t even talked to your mom yet.”

That drew a snort from Safi, and if she wasn’t holding a Mudkip, she might’ve tightened her hands into fists. “She won’t be back anytime soon, probably. I’m sure I’ll get a call about her going somewhere else. I’ll send her a text – and I don’t think she’d mind. I’d be ‘following in her footsteps’,” Safi finished with a roll of her eyes. “And I think you should, too.”

“I can’t just… leave him,” Caelan winced. “I have to talk to him about it first.” Maybe it was something in Caelan’s eyes, but Safiyyah relented in her pressing.

“Alright but take the initiative and go to the gym to talk to him. You know he won’t be home at a reasonable hour.” That was… a good idea, actually. And it’d give Caelan some time to think about what he was going to say without waiting around for his dad to come back at three in the morning.

“Yeah, I think I’ll start off doing that…”

“And you should pack a bag just in case he says yes,” Safi supplied helpfully. “So you won’t fall so behind me when I beat you to Rustboro.” Part of Caelan wished he could be like Safiyyah – there wasn’t an ounce of hesitation, fear, or dread for whatever came from actually going forward with Professor Birch’s suggestion. She just… knew what she wanted. Caelan didn’t know what he wanted, but even he couldn’t deny that sitting around in that house day by day wasn’t going to help his mental stability. No, camping out between cities would do nothing to mitigate his fear of being ambushed by Ghost Pokémon, but at least he’d have Wulf and this Torchic with him.

A long moment passed as Caelan considered his options, eventually caving to his not-so-secret desire. “Maybe we can meet up there? If he says it’s okay?”

“I’ll see you there then,” Safiyyah grinned.

With their agreement made, the newly appointed trainers went their separate ways with Safiyyah going into her house, and Caelan his. Once inside, he dropped the Torchic onto the ground and allowed it to investigate the new environment warily while Wulf encouragingly urged it forward. Caelan stared at it for a moment, though after watching it start to pluck at the carpet, he couldn’t help but smile and collapsed onto the ground with his legs crossed like a child. “I need to give you a name, don’t I?” Caelan murmured after coaxing the little Pokémon closer. The Torchic hopped closer, chirped, and then spotted Caelan’s pocket, which was now in head shoving range. Which is exactly what it did. Without warning, the small Pokémon shoved its head into Caelan’s pocket, and the rest of its body followed suit till there was a small weight nestling into the warmth. “How about Koda?” The Torchic chirped it – no, _his_ – agreement at the name, but didn’t come out of Caelan’s pocket. That was alright, though. He could pack with him there.

*

It might’ve only taken about thirty minutes to pack a bag condense, yet full enough to supply him throughout a journey through Hoenn. But Caelan had _no idea_ what to pack – what did _anyone_ pack when they were (potentially) about to leave home for an extended period of time? Tents? Sleeping bag? Space for food? Money? The bag felt awfully light and heavy at the same time, but it’d been an hour, and at this point, he was just stalling. Leaving felt a lot like… saying goodbye. He’d been forced to without warning when his mother got sick, but now leaving the home she’d put so much effort in to decorate and brighten was like he was making the final farewell, and he didn’t know how he felt about that.

Caelan paused at a photograph sitting above the fireplace on the mantle. It was one just of him and his mother, when he was around eight. He’d gotten his red hair from her, both a wild mess in the sunshine with equally bright smiles and crinkled eyes that were telltale sign enough that they’d both been laughing. She’d been a wiry woman, but she could still muscle her way through the oddest situations. And staring at the photo only had Caelan missing him more.

Norman would never realize the photograph was gone – he was barely home anyway, hadn’t noticed Caelan pick up the ones he intentionally pushed down, so really, what was one missing picture? Caelan stashed it in his bag, doing his best not to crinkle it, though he knew it was futile. After checking to make sure he had his keys and anything else he might need, Caelan whistled for Wulf and Koda to follow him out the door so he could lock it – and seal his decision. He thought it would be hard to lock the door, but in reality, it was… refreshing. He was stepping away from something he hadn’t been ready to accept just yet.

“Okay, so Oldale Town isn’t too far from here… let’s start there.” Caelan was mostly talking to himself, because Wulf and Koda unfortunately didn’t really have a say in where they went – they probably couldn’t even read a map (though Caelan really couldn’t, either). Sucking in a sharp breath to clear the excited jitters at the prospect of, well, having an _adventure_ , he tried not to preemptively get excited about something his dad might shoot down immediately.

Route 101 directly led to Oldale Town and was always full of life from a variety of Pokémon. He’d walked through it with Professor Birch the night prior, but it was much less daunting when the sun was lighting up leaves that were on the brink of falling right to the ground. Wulf stuck close to Caelan, as he usually did when they did anything together, but Koda was much more willing to explore. The Torchic was hopping around, poking at the ground and getting familiar with being outside a poke ball – and Caelan was enjoying watching him. At least he wasn’t timid to their surroundings, which was always a good sign. Maybe this would be good for him. For all of them. It wasn’t fair of Wulf to be stuck babysitting Caelan, either. The Poochyena even walked with a bit more pep in his step knowing that they might be going to new frontiers.

Yeah, this was good. This _would_ be good, because Caelan would _make_ it good, and maybe Safiyyah was right, maybe he _needed_ to take this step for himself-

Koda squawked in a manner that _might_ have been an aggressive warning, but it wasn’t heeded by whatever he _was_ screaming at. Something dark lunged forward from the bushes to slam its paws straight into his newly acquired Torchic, slamming him into the ground. Brown and white mottled fur stood over an easily pinned Koda, and it took Caelan a moment to process that it was a Zigzagoon. “Wulf!”

Wulf bounced into action with a snarl, pushing forward and tackling the wild Pokémon off of Koda. The two wrestled on the ground, teeth gnashing and claws digging into fur, and Caelan had no idea _what_ to do next. His father might have bene a gym leader, but it’s not like Caelan really _knew_ what to do with something like this. Wulf kicked out his back paws and sent the Zigzagoon flying off of him, giving the Poochyena a chance to jump to his feet and shake out his fur. With a thump, the Pokémon landed roughly on the ground, and it was then that Caelan remembered he had poké balls.

Maybe he shouldn’t have just thrown it at the first thing he saw, but really, Caelan wasn’t thinking. The empty ball was activated and thrown directly at the limp Zigzagoon, who was quickly sucked up and eaten by whatever made these things work. After watching with baited breath as it wiggled, the ball finally stilled with a click, and Caelan released a sigh he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Are you alright, Wulf?” The Poochyena snorted, sporting a few scratches, but nothing major, which was good. Especially since they were stuck with it now.

Caelan stepped forward and plucked the ball from the ground to study it closely, and then clicked the button to release the newly caught Zigzagoon. He seemed a bit disoriented for a second, and then after blinking and seeming to process the ball in Caelan’s hand, crinkled his nose. “My… third Pokémon. Hope you’re not too mad about that.” The Zigzagoon peered at Caelan for a moment, and then shook his head, broadening Caelan’s smile. “Great! Then how about I call you… Rudy.” This trainer thing seemed kind of fun, and catching Pokémon also meant he was registering them in the Pokédex, right? The newly named Rudy pushed himself to his paws and peered skeptically at Wulf. But Wulf was incredibly polite for a Poochyena (not that any of them were impolite in the first place, but Wulf had _manners_ ), and held no hard feelings towards the Zigzagoon – and neither did Koda, who’d already forgotten the transgression to instead squawk and hop closer to his new friend.

It was only fair to let his Pokémon walk out beside him as they reached Oldale Town, easily spotting the red roof that identified the Pokémon Center, which Caelan _would_ be stopping by once he checked out the mart here. It was where he did a lot of his grocery shopping in the first place. Actually, he might have some coupons still in his coat pocket…

Oldale Town was quiet and typically didn’t attract any newcomers or tourists. There wasn’t much here, other than a mart, a center for trainers nearby (since there _was_ a gym in the next city over), and a few houses for those that actually worked there. It was as lowkey as Littleroot, which was what Caelan’s mother had loved about it so much. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city where she could relax with a book and fresh air. Even before she passed, they never frequented Rustboro – not unless they had a family dinner planned there, or his dad had to visit Roxanne if there was a problem. Caelan recognized – and knew – the majority of the folks that lived here, since there _were_ rarely any new faces. Most of the people walking around outside were familiar in some way to Caelan.

His hands were already searching his pockets for some coupons off for, well, _anything_ , and that seemed to draw Koda and Wulf’s attention, for some reason. Enough that neither of them noticed when Rudy got distracted by something – or, better, some _one_ – and left the small group.

Wulf’s bark snapped Caelan from his stupor, shocking him and freezing his hands, and it was then he realized that one was missing. “Wait, where’s-” Wulf barked again, and following his pointed nose, he spotted _his_ Zigzagoon held aloft upside-down by an angry looking Kirlia standing beside a young man Caelan _didn’t_ recognize. “Rudy!” The shout drew the attention of the stranger, who snapped his gray eyes up to peer at Caelan as he jogged forward with a sheepish expression that wasn’t matched by either the Kirlia, the man, or the Treecko watching silently atop the young man’s shoulder. “Haha, ah, sorry, but that Zigzagoon-”

 _Just tried to pickpocket us._ Caelan blinked, confused for a solid moment, because… he heard a voice, but the man’s mouth didn’t move. In fact, he was just _staring_ at Caelan with a slightly disapproving expression.

“Did… you say something?” Which was rude, because if he _did_ , he obviously hadn’t been paying attention-

 _No, I did._ With a flourish of her hand, the Kirlia released Rudy – who was still upside-down – onto the ground with a harrumph, staring at Caelan with a lot more animosity than her trainer. _You should be watching him._

“Your Kirlia talks!” Alright, yeah, that had been irresponsible, but he didn’t think Rudy would go run off pickpocketing people the moment they stepped into town. However, Caelan was _much_ more interested in the Psychic-type standing in front of him, speaking into his _mind_. He knew Psychic-types _had_ the ability to telepathically speak to humans, but he’d never acutally encountered one that _spoke_ to _him._ “That’s amazing!”

“Your Zigzagoon just tried to rob me. I hardly think my Kirlia is what you should be discussing.”

“Oh. Right. I’m sorry about that, by the way,” Caelan laughed, turning back to actually stare at the victim of Rudy’s innocent (hopefully) pickpocketing (what could he even grab?). Unlike the rest of the town, the trainer in front of him looked… expensive. Where Caelan wore a stained, old coat that was probably due for a replacement, the boy’s coat was crisp and pressed straight with not a wrinkle in sight. Brown hair was combed to the side, and the silver scarf he wore covered most of his neck. Yes, _expensive_ was the right word – and the way he held himself might have intimidated Caelan more if he wasn’t already friends with the most daunting person on the planet. He was actually sort of pretty. “I just caught him, actually.” They hadn’t exactly had time to go through Manners 101.

The young man’s frown deepened. “So, you’re just letting a practically wild Pokémon run around without any discipline?”

Oof. “… yes.”

 _Idiot_ , the Kirlia projected purposefully and _rudely_ into Caelan’s mind.

“Vida,” the young trainer chided after watching Caelan’s face fall at just being insulted by a Pokémon. “Look, it’s fine. The next time that happens, though, you might not meet someone so apologetic. I suggest keeping… _Rudy_ in his ball till you’ve had proper time to train him.”

“Thanks, you’re right,” Caelan breathed with a shy smile. And, to prove that he _did_ actually mean what he’d said, he withdrew Rudy (who’d been politely glaring at the Kirlia) back into his ball, leaving only Wulf and Koda lingering near his legs. “I’m Caelan, by the way. I don’t think I’ve seen you here before. Are you a trainer?”

“I… yeah, I am.” There was a pause as he studied Caelan curiously for a moment, taken aback by the sudden onslaught of kindness as the topic shifted. “I’m Rowan. I just started… I actually picked up a Pokémon the other day.”

“Oh, cool, I got mine today! Actually, I’ve had Wulf for a while now, but this is Koda, and- wait a second, did you get a Pokémon from Professor Birch?” He _did_ mention that he’d gotten three so a trainer could actually have a choice – was this the trainer?

"I… did.” Pausing, Rowan took in Caelan’s appearance almost skeptically. “And I’m going to take on the League Challenge.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> psychic pokemon can talk because i said so  
> i'm still getting used to writing this everything feels weird but that ain't stopping me


End file.
